Sponsors

Program Information

Training

It is the policy of the WSFCA Mentoring Program that all mentors and mentees attend a training session prior to being matched. The agendas must cover basic program guidelines.

Confidentiality

It is the policy of the WSFCA Mentoring Program to protect the confidentiality of its participants. With the exception of the limitations listed below the Business Office and Program Coordinator will only share information about mentors and mentees with other WSFCA professional staff and the Board of Directors. Further, all prospective mentors and mentees should be informed of the scope and limitations of confidentiality. Additionally, mentors and mentees are required to keep information confidential.

In order for WSFCA to provide a responsible and professional service to participants, it is necessary to ask mentors, mentees and other outside sources to divulge extensive personal information about the prospective participants, including:

Information gained from mentors and mentees, written or otherwise, about themselves, in application to and during program participation

Participants' names and images gained from participants themselves, program meetings, training sessions, and other events

Records are, therefore, considered the property of the WSFCA not the staff and Program Coordinator, and are not available for review by mentors or mentees.

Limits of Confidentiality

Information from mentor and mentee records may be shared with individuals or organizations as specified below under the following conditions:

Identifying information (including names, photographs, videos, etc.) of program participants may be used in agency publications or promotional materials only upon written consent of the mentor and mentee.

Information may be provided to legal counsel in the event of litigation or potential litigation involving the agency. Such information is considered privileged information, and its confidentiality is protected by law.

As required by law.

Safekeeping of Confidential Records

The WSFCA Business Office is considered the custodian of confidential records. It is his/her responsibility to supervise the management of confidential information in order to ensure safekeeping, accuracy, accountability, and compliance with Board policies.

Violations of Confidentiality

A known violation of the agency policy on confidentiality by a program participant may result in a written warning or disciplinary action such as suspension or termination from the program.

Closure

It is the policy of the WSFCA Mentoring Program that all mentors and mentees must participate in closure procedures when their match ends. Closure is defined as the ending of a formal match relationship regardless of the circumstances of the match ending or whether they intend to have future contact informally beyond the match duration.

Closure can occur for any number of reasons including: the contracted match duration has ended, one or both participants do not want to continue the match, there are changes in life circumstances of either the mentor or mentee, or an individual no longer meets the requirements of the program participation. Hence, the match may end at the discretion of the mentor, mentee, and/or Program Coordinator. It is left to the discretion of the Program Coordinator whether an individual will be reassigned to another match in the future based upon past participation performance and current goals and needs of the program.

Future contact will be at the mutual and informal agreement of the mentor, and the mentee. If future contact is agreed upon, the WSFCA Mentoring Program will not be responsible for monitoring and supporting the match after the match has ended. The Program Coordinator will verbally and in writing inform all parties – the mentor, mentee – that the formal match has ended and that WSFCA will not be liable for any incidents that occur after the match has closed.